OUAT: REBIRTH
by thewomanwhosoldtheworld
Summary: AU from Neverland onwards, David dies while saving Henry, Rumpelstilskin can save him but it comes with a price and David must face off with King George in one last epic battle David/Snow
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading and reviewing if you do, I own nothing.

Summary: AU from Neverland onwards, David dies while saving Henry, Rumpelstilskin can save him but it comes with a price and David must face off with King George in one last epic battle David/Snow

**OUAT: REBIRTH**

"_One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others."-Lewis Carroll_

_I wish you could see yourself through my eyes..._

**D**avid grunts as Pan's arm tightens around his neck. They had finally found his hideout and freed Henry, now the trouble is escaping Pan himself. He had caught David by surprise, now he stands trapped in his grasp and looks on as Snow fights to get to him. Emma is right by her side while Hook is getting Henry to the tree line where Regina waits to take him to safety.

David closes his eyes, Pan elbows him in the side where one of the Lost Boys arrows had struck him, he nearly faints him the excruciating pain that radiates from his side all over his body.

"No! David!" Her voice is the only thing that pulls him back to reality. He feels weak, he looks over at her and she meets his eyes.

She is more beautiful every time he lays eyes on her.

_I wish you could see how strong you are..._

He struggles in Pan's grasp but he is weak and he doubts he could break his hold even if he were healthy considering his magic.

"Let them go, kill me." He pleads desperately with Pan, he hears a snigger escape Pan's lips.

"No... You die, Snow White, the Queen and the Dark One dies... Hook I will torture for the rest of eternity and your daughter and grandson they join me." Pan's hisses in David's hear. He elbows him in his wound again, he cries out in pain and looks up at the sky. He sees the sun breaking through the clouds, he would often lay in the tall grass as a boy and look up at the sky wondering what would become of him.

He doesn't regret a moment he has spent alive.

He knows what he must do, David tears his eyes away from the sky and looks at Snow, when their eyes connect a look of horror passes across her face. She knows what he is going to do, _I have to be quick_...

He uses his last bit of strength to wiggle just enough out of Pan's grasp to reach down for his sword that he had dropped earlier at his feet. Without a moment's hesitation he lifts it towards his chest and slams it through his body, he knows he hit Pan when he hears his cry of agony as his body hits the ground.

He knows he doesn't have long.

His vision blurs as he watches Snow and Emma run towards him, Snow collapses at his side pleading with him to stay with her.

He can't speak, blood is pooling in his mouth, he looks at her and their eyes meet one final time.

_I love you_...

"I love you." She chokes out.

David's vision begins to dim, the last sound David hears in his life is Snow screaming the name Rumpelstilskin.

* * *

avid's eyes open slowly, his throat is raw and he feels like he has been thrown into a wall.

He looks around, his vision coming into focus and his eyes widen as he takes in his surroundings.

He is in a hospital...

David throws the sheets off his bed and dangles his feet over the edge of his bed, he is about to go when he hears a woman's voice...

"David! You're awake!" A dark headed woman runs towards him, she throws her arms around him so hard that he falls back onto the bed. He groans and she quickly backs away.

"Oh I'm sorry, are you ok?"

"What happened?" Is all he can say through the pain, she looks sideways at him and a small grin appears on her face.

_That smile..._

"Don't you remember?"

"N-No... who are you?"

* * *

Footnote: David will get his memory back in chapter two, he's already lost it once in the show I'm not going to drag it out.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

"I'm... I'm-uh Sn... Mary Margaret, I'm your wife." The dark headed woman stumbles over her words. David frowns, he stares at the woman, that name, although a little familiar doesn't connect with this woman in front of him.

His gaze is pulled away from Mary Margaret when a young boy runs into his room followed closely by another woman who has long blond hair and is wearing a red leather jacket.

"Grandpa!" The young boy launches himself towards David but Mary Margaret catches him before he lands on him, he'll have to thank her later.

The word Grandpa confuses him, he feels like he is lost in the middle of a forest on a dark foggy night, the only connection to the outside world he has is Mary Margaret.

"Grandpa?" David turns to her.

"Oh we took him and his mother in, Emma, they had nowhere to stay and Henry started calling you Grandpa... we all thought it was a joke at the time but Henry wouldn't give up calling you that." The words roll off her tongue easily but David can tell there is more to that story then what she is telling him, he doesn't push it though, a thumping headache starts to come on. He closes his eyes.

_Did you ever doubt I would?_

_Well, truthfully the glass coffin gave me pause..._

David's eyes snap open, the memory flashes in front of his eyes and disappears as quickly as it appears.

Mary Margaret had been in a white dress, and her hair had been long and he had been dressed up like some sought of storybook character.

"Emma, can you wait outside? I'll come out in a minute." Mary Margaret's voice pulls him back to reality. David looks over at Emma, a look of distress clearly evident on her face.

_It's going to be ok... have faith..._The words echo in his mind, he wants to say them to her but he holds back.

He feels a hand on his and he turns to Mary Margaret once more, he can see the worry in her eyes and he does the only thing that feels right at that moment he rubs his thumb over her hand that sits on top of his, in fact he doesn't realise the impact it has until Mary Margaret looks down at their hands at tears fill her eyes. She refuses to let them fall though, she looks back at him with a truly joyful smile on her face.

_I wish you could see how strong you are... _Mary Margaret seems to hold a inner strength that he automatically admires about her, he doesn't know how but he knows he has had to convince her of this truth once before.

"It's going to be ok David, you'll get your memory back... have faith." She leans over his bed and gently kisses him on the cheek, he nearly pulls away from her as she begins the action but something stops him from doing so.

He watches as she gets up and leaves, and he is already longing for her as soon as she is has disappeared from sight.

_Have faith..._

He might not have his memories back yet but he definitely knows this is where he belongs. David leans back onto his back and fall asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.

* * *

"Hello." The greeting pulls David out of the light sleep he had been in, his eyes open slowly to find an old man sitting at the side of his bed, there is something off putting about him that immediately puts David on alert, every muscle his body tightens.

"Who are you?"

A small smirk appears on the man's face, there is nothing joyful about it, his dark expression puts David on edge even more. He has the urge to run out of this room but he knows he would never make it in the state he is.

"My name is George. I'm an old... friend."

David knows every word the man spews is a lie. He starts to back away from him a little, George's eyes narrow.

"I see although your memory is gone once again you still cower like the Shepard boy you are when threatened... good." George's demeanour changes within seconds, he rises to his feet and pulls a gun from under his jacket.

"You know one good thing about this land? The weapons..." He lifts his arm to point it at him when he hears footsteps nearing David's room, George quickly replaces the gun under his jacket.

"We'll be seeing each other soon." He says before disappearing into his bathroom, David knows there is a window in there and it is meaningless to try and stop him. He is weak, and he'll already be outside of the building by now.

He can only be ready for the next time they meet and hopefully, by then he will have his memories back.

* * *

TWO DAYS LATER

Mary Margaret stops her car just on the edge of the forest.

"Uh, what are we doing?" David asks, he just got out of the hospital this morning and all he wants is to return home to see if anything would jog his memory.

He feels like he is running out of time, that if he doesn't have his memory back whenever George returns that he will be at a major disadvantage. He hasn't told anyone of George yet, if he had been involved in some kind of criminal activity he doesn't want to pull Mary Margaret into it although some things George said to him eats away at him.

He lost his memory before? David plans to go to the hospital and demand his medical records as soon as he gets some time alone.

"There's a place out here, it's special to us, it might help you get your memory back." She says before getting out of the car, she takes his hand in his once he is out of the car and they head into the forest.

Surprisingly David feels at peace out here, like he has done with a hundred times with this woman. The silence isn't awkward in fact it's welcomed. David holds onto Mary Margaret's hand tight.

_This is where I'm meant to be, standing beside this woman, whatever battles we may face in the future..._

They come to a river where Mary Margaret stops, she motions towards a old bridge.

David stares at it for what seems like forever before a headache starts to come on again, he closes his eyes. Memories flash before his eyes like a news reel, hundreds of them, so many it beings to overwhelm him. He falls to his knees as his headache worsens, he can hear Mary Margaret saying something to him but he can't make it out.

David's vision begins to dim and the last thing David hears before his world turns to darkness is Mary Margaret screaming a name that chills David to his soul.

Rumpelstilskin.

* * *

_Snow..._

David's eyes snap open, he gasps for breath as he throws the blankets off the bed he is lying in. His mind races, had this all been some kind of dream?

"Snow?" He calls for her in her apartment but there is no answer. He runs up the stairs and checks all the bedrooms but there is no one there. When he hears the door open his heart begins to beat wildly in his chest.

"David?"

"Snow?!" He shouts as he runs down the stairs, she is holding shopping bags but he doesn't care he runs to her and throws his arms around her.

_I'm home..._

When he pulls back Snow is crying, to see Snow in any kind of distress kills him. He lifts his hands and cups her face, wiping away the tears with his thumbs.

"It's ok, I'm back..."

"I know it's just that you... you were dead."

David smiles, he lifts her chin so her eyes meet his.

"I'm back, that's all that matters. We'll talk about the deal you made with Rumpelstilskin later but there's something we need to talk about first."

"What?" Mary Margaret asks.

"George."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

She watches him carefully as he explains what transpired with George, both fall silent for a minute or two before Snow finally speaks.

"What do you want to do?" She asks. David sighs, he won't kill him unless it is absolutely necessary but they need to imprison him and do it quickly.

_Rumpelstilskin..._

The name sends a cold waves over David, with how much this family has asked of him lately Rumpelstilskin will want something worth while in return for his services.

"What was your deal with Rumpelstilskin?" David asks, if they repay the deal Snow made they might have a chance to broker a new one. If all else fails they can go to Regina but she must be a last resort, David couldn't stand knowing he would owe something to her. There is peace amongst them for now but David feels like Regina's anger is similar to a boiling pot of water, it is only a matter of time before her anger boils over once more.

Snow's head drops, she obviously does not want to tell David what happened.

"He said... he said that he wants a lock of hair from our baby."

David frowns. Baby? He uses his hand to lift her chin so her eyes meet his.

"Baby?" Is the only word he can say, tears fill Snow's eyes and she nods, a large smile appearing on her face.

"I didn't want to tell you this way. I'm pregnant."

David doesn't know what to feel first, joy or fear of what Rumpelstilskin could possibly want with a lock of hair from their unborn happy. Unrestrained joy hits David first, he lets out a hearty laugh.

"That's wonderful." He mumbles as he embraces her. He waits for a moment before pulling away from her. He grasps her hand tightly.

"I will see to Rumpelstilskin, then if all goes well we can see if he will help us with George. Will you promise me something?"

_I love you so much..._

"What?"

"Please don't go outside if it's not necessary, George will do anything to hurt me now." He replies, his voice steady.

"Of course."

"Good." He leans towards her and places a gentle kiss on her lips, he doesn't want to part from her but there is something else he must ask.

"Does Emma know?"

"No. Henry is staying with Regina for dinner and Emma has the night free so I was planning to tell her at dinner."

"I'll be here." He says before kissing her once more on the lips. He places his hand on her belly, tears filling his eyes.

"I can't wait to meet you." He whispers, he stands and grabs his jacket. He heads towards the door, he stops in his tracks and turns back to look at Snow one more time before he leaves.

"I'm so happy." He says.

* * *

"I WANT to know what you want with a lock of hair from my unborn baby?" David's temper is beginning to rise, he storms towards the counter in Rumpelstilskin's pawn shop.

Rumpelstilskin stands behind his counter, he is not fazed by David's aggression, in fact he rounds the counter to meet David face to face. A dark look passes across Rumpelstilskin's face, for a brief moment David is sure he is going to kill him.

"That... was the deal, it does not matter why, it only matters if you choose to pay it or not." He hisses. David falls silent he is desperate, he cannot let history repeat itself. He will not owe anything to this man concerning their child, not again.

"I'll do anything, please, just forget the previous deal."

Rumpelstilskin hears the desperation in David's voice and for a long time he just stands there staring at him before finally nodding.

"Fine I have some... other item that I need to get back. I want you to go to Wonderland, meet with a White Rabbit, you'll know him when you see him he has a acquired taste in clothes. Tell him Rumpelstilskin wants his payment and bring me back the item."

"Why can't you go? And what is this item that you want?" David immediately asks, Rumpelstilskin holds up a hand.

"You have no need to know what the item is and I can't go because... well there is a someone who wants me dead and they have eyes and hears everywhere, there is only one way in and out of Wonderland for those who have to use the Hatter's portal, I can't take that risk."

_I can't let history repeat itself... I will give anything for my family..._

"Fine I'll do it, where is the Hatter's portal?"

"Emma and your wife have been to the Hatter's house, Emma can get the portal to work, all you have to do is take that leap." He replies, he turns back to his counter, searching for something before finally turning back to David. He hands him a gold ring with some kind of blue stone in it.

"Wear this ring, always. If you don't come back within a a couple of months of time we will be able to find you."

"A couple of months?"

"Time works differently there, what seems like one hour there could be a week here." He replies. David falls silent at this.

_I will not fail, I cannot fail... _David tells himself this over and over in his mind, he nods.

"Right, well I have to make preparations." Neither say goodbye to the other, David simply leaves with the ring in hand.

He won't fail. His child's life won't be ruined because of Rumpelstilskin, not again.

* * *

Footnote: next chapter will be the dinner, the goodbyes and someone else will joining David in his journey to Wonderland.


End file.
